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November 20, 2012, 10:00am ET - 11:00am ET

Please join the Center for American Progress for a discussion and question-and-answer session with United States Patent and Trade Office Director David Kappos. Director Kappos will address the topic of high-tech innovation and the role of software patents in that innovation. He’ll examine how software came to be patented; how those patents are featured across the innovation landscape; and how the USPTO in the last three years has taken concrete steps to ensure the highest level of quality in issued patents while providing avenues for re-examination of existing patents. Director Kappos will also address some of the criticisms of software patents as well as some proposed reforms, providing context on how the debate fits in the larger picture of intellectual property protection and economic growth.